The Domino Effect of Your Leadership

I wanted to take a few short minutes out of your day and talk about the domino effect and the power it can have in our organizations. I, like you, tend to want to see instant results from the work I put in. I want my organization to be great and work hard every day to make it so. Most times I don’t get the instant results I am looking for. These results take time. Weeks, months, or even years until we see our hard work come to fruition.
 
We all have a boss. We all have to answer to someone. There are some days when we may feel beat down by what is happening in our organizations. There may be days when you feel your leadership is completely disconnected. I encourage you, when you start to feel this frustration, when you start to feel like you efforts are all for not, look down, not up the chain of command.
 
The domino effect of leadership is a very powerful thing. Focus on your sphere of influence. Focus on your dominoes. I have close to 15 guys that work for me in my firehouse, or really, that I work for. These are 15 dominoes that I try to focus my attention on every single day I come to work. You see, if you were to place a set of dominoes standing in the form of a triangle and hit the head or top domino, they will all come crashing down. If you were to go somewhere in the middle of that same formation and knock over a domino, it will also take a large majority with it.

 
So what I am saying is this: Focus on your dominoes. Keep them standing tall by constantly mentoring them, inspiring them, and developing them professionally. You don’t have to be head domino to impact your organization. You don’t even have to be at the second row. I sit many rows below that head domino, but right now I am in the process of tipping over the ones beneath me. You need to do the same. One day, they will stand tall again in a different row, and because of the leadership and example that we have set for them, they will continue to tip some of their own dominoes over. More and more dominoes will fall and get back up until eventually we all fall down as one powerful, mission focused team.
 
So you see all it takes is someone anywhere in that formation of dominoes to make positive change. If you grow frustrated with the current state of your organizations, focus on developing and knocking over your dominoes, and one day we all will see the change we work so hard for.

No More Excuses!!

Over the last few weeks I have seen on social media and many other outlets a growing frustration for the lack of making training a priority. I share in the frustration of others when it comes to the mindset that may be out there when it comes to this. I have a very experienced Captain who I am grateful to be working alongside. He has close to, if not over 30 years of service. He has said that with the drop in fire duty we have to close that gap. We have to make sure we are always doing something to make sure we are ready. To think we will get everything we need by simply showing up and running calls won’t cut it. We have to make training a priority.

I mentioned the mindset that we have to be in when it come to the value behind the training we should be doing. I can tell you where mine is at as a Company Officer. I take the job of making sure my firefighters are prepared at all times very seriously. It is my duty, and should be yours too, to make sure they are always ready and able to perform when the brass hits. I will always rest my head easy at night knowing that I have given my best to make sure that I have increased their chances of survival on the fireground. I do this by providing the best training that I can, and by fostering an environment that welcomes them to start their own training and come up with new ideas that will make us all better. I will never be in a position where I have to look myself in the mirror and say, I should have done more for them. That will not be me and I refuse to let it happen. I refuse to have to explain to a family member that I should have done more if god forbid something tragic were to ever happen.

One thing I grow tired of hearing is people making excuses for not training. Now sometimes this attitude toward training could stem from the type that is being delivered, or how it is being delivered. If you are going to plan training, do it right. Put the time into making sure the information is valuable, applicable, and the learning environment is positive and open for two way conversation. The last thing anyone wants to do is sit there and listen to a condescending instructor. Sometimes we know firefighters will make excuses just because they feel like they don’t need to train whatsoever. Sadly, I have heard several excuses, or justifications in their minds: “I already have my system, I don’t need to learn another”, “I’m not changing what I do and don’t need to learn anything”, “we aren’t ever going to do this anyway”. The list can go on and on. Below is a picture of a few others that some of you may be familiar with.

The question I ask is this, and this is the question you should ask those in your firehouses who marginalize the importance of training. This is the question you should ask of someone who is telling you that you are out there training too much.

What would your family say to these excuses if you were seriously injured or killed on the fireground?

I am quite certain that your wife, husband, sons or daughters would not be ok with these. I know my family wouldn’t be. We are better than that; we are professionals.

As leaders of an organization that don’t support training, would you feel ok with telling your people that they are training too much, and then watch what could have been a successful operation crumble due to lack of training? Or worse maybe the event turns tragic. I would hope that none of us would ever want to be in that spot.

I saw a quote that read “you can’t train too much for a job that can kill you”. That is 100 percent true. You can certainly train too little and we all see it around us. It is time that all of us understand the importance of getting out there and conducting quality training. We can only crawl around in bunkrooms and bays so much before we start to lose people. Keep it interesting. We have no one to blame but ourselves for not taking it as seriously as we should. If you are in that firehouse where you are the minority because you like to get out and train, keep doing it. If all you do is something by yourself every shift, eventually one person will come out and watch, and possibly even jump in there with you. That domino effect will continue and hopefully before you know it, you have half the station out there. Will it be because you shamed them into it? Maybe, but they might pick something up that will increase their chances of survival and keep them going home to their family.

It's the Small Things

I was listening to a recording of firefighters explaining how they feel like there is sometime not enough recognition being spread among the ranks. They were explaining how things like a simple hand shake and a job well done can go a long way. I agree with them 100%. This is something we all need to keep in mind. I feel like I don’t thank my guys enough for the work that they do. Award ceremonies and public recognition are all great ways to recognize people. I have noticed during my experience in the military and the fire department, it the small things that matter most.

There are many different ways people feel valued and a part of something. Some like to see it in their paychecks while others like those small things. Things such as station patches and coins, or wearing their company numbers on their hats. These are all ways that people feel a sense of pride and belonging to a unit and an organization. They may seem small in the grand scheme of things but items such as these foster pride, commitment, and teamwork.

I get the concept of uniformity and understand that things can go a bit out of control when there is not a little bit of control on station shirts, patches etc. This can be easily curbed with still allowing them in the firehouses. There can still be a pattern of uniformity. All people want to be a part of something. Let them be part of something and the performance you get in return just may surprise you, all because of a 5 dollar patch and a 20 dollar t-shirt. You will see the fruits of that investment.

It is no secret that any organization is best run and remains running efficiently if it's people feel valued. There is nothing better to firefighters than their company officers, senior officers, and executive staff reaching out to them occasionally and giving thanks, shaking their hand, and telling them good job. Those two words can go a long way, and for some people, that simple gesture will mean more to them than all the pomp and circumstance of a formal ceremony.

When I was in the Navy, the Executive Officer of the command would always be out of his office and walking around the ship. He would stop and talk to all the junior sailors and have conversations with them about any random thing. He took time out of his busy schedule to ensure he was getting face time with his sailors. Not just to check a box, but because he truly cared about his crew and wanted them to feel like they were valued and a part of something. I think when  a Fire Chief or other executive staff member that takes the time to get out into the stations, have a cup of coffee with the men and women in the firehouses, is making an impact. Also, when going out into the stations, really engage in conversation. Talk to the men and women about the fires they have been to recently, interesting medical calls and any other exciting things. Sit with the FIREFIGHTERS at the galley tables and not the officers. It’s the firefighters who deserve the conversation and recognition.  This is just another small thing that matters.

I think it is safe to assume just about everyone of us has some sort of promotional process. People spend six months to a year preparing, studying, and cancelling other events, just so they can have a shot at finishing well. They dedicate a number of hours to place themselves in a position to be a leader and influence others around them. Let’s make it meaningful when that promotion comes around. Anyone can hop on a phone and say congrats you got the job. Do like the Fire Chief pictured below is doing: Get out of the office and go shake their hand, and give them their badge and helmet. How are we supposed to send a message of just how important it is for that person to step into a leadership position, if we do such an informal job of passing the good news? Make it a big deal, because it is!

There are plenty more examples of those little things that go a long way. We need to stay grounded and not forget about the ones that make our organizations tick. The minute we become disconnected from them and what drives their passion and performance, we become weaker.

No More "I's" in the Galley

The tables in your station galleys are probably the focal point of the firehouse; hopefully it’s not the bunkroom. Mentoring, complaining, problem solving, and training all occur here over that world class firehouse coffee. We have heard conversation after conversation take place here, but the next time you are engaged in one of those conversations, listen closely. Ask yourself how many I’s are in that galley.

If you want to see where a crew, station, or individuals stand when it comes to their contribution to the team or the mission as a whole, listen to see how many times they use the word “I”. You will hear phrases such as I should be getting this, or, I shouldn’t have to do that. Or even better, I wasn’t the one responsible for that. It’s all about the ME and not about the WE. They are quick to become an outlier and dismiss themselves as part of the team, especially if there is a mistake or failure involved. Often times they are only a part of the team when there is some sort of benefit to be had. Other than that, they are just another I in the galley.

There needs to be more WE going around. If there is a success, than it’s we who celebrate in it. When there is a fault or failure, it’s we who take ownership and learn from it. This has to be demonstrated from the company officers in the station. If we as company officers aren’t doing it how can we expect the firefighters to do it? The answer, we can’t! We need to set the example. I have a lot of favorite quotes but one that sticks out in my mind is by Arnold Glasow and it reads:

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

 I want to focus on the first part of this quote: A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame. This goes back to the WE. Whether it is a mistake on a fire or EMS call, missing equipment off the truck, or something that doesn’t get done around the station, it is because of WE. It doesn’t matter if it comes to the attention of the officer or a firefighter, every one of us should have the grit to stand up and take the hit as a team.  I also preach about individual responsibility. At times is there one person that is the sole contributor of an issue that the team is now dealing with? Sure there is, but we suffer together. Every individual needs to understand that their actions and attitudes have an impact on their team. If a group of individual firefighters all have this same mindset, than it will make it easy for that team cohesion to take place and an ownership mentality to form. We as leaders, officers or firefighters, need to foster this sense of cohesion in our stations. There should be no finger pointing, only ownership and correction as a whole.

So how do we start to get rid of all those I’s in the galley? I would say the first thing is to set the example. Whether a firefighter or officer, if they see that you are living up to the WE mentality, they may change their views. I have seen firefighters that were just an I in the galley, mainly because of bad past experience. They had others around them that would be comfortable with them taking the fall. I once saw someone shift full blame onto an individual at the station, when they were part of the reason that a mistake was made in the first place. Sadly, this was a company officer, a piss poor example if I could be brutally honest. Do you think this would help someone? Being left on an island to take full share of the blame doesn’t help things.

 If showing them a good example of a team that holds themselves accountable as a unit doesn’t help, you will have your work cut out for you. It doesn’t mean they can’t change, but it won’t happen overnight. Let’s face it, there are some who just enjoy coming to work and being miserable. There are some who choose to isolate themselves from the group even in the presence of a good example and good leadership. These are called casualties, and there will be casualties. You can’t save them all! The ones you can will give you strength in numbers and outweigh the minority. So, when you come to the station, work hard to get rid of all the I’s in the galley, and work more towards a WE mentality. 

What its all about

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog site. Trial by Fire is dedicated to advancing the Fire Service through strong leadership, training, professionalism, and a hunger for everything firefighting. I am passionate about the Fire Service and where it is going. It is up to every single one of us to strive to be the experts in our craft. We should have no room for complacency and stomp out mediocrity. It is my hope that the experiences and thoughts that I share will have an impact on you and what you may be going through in your fire service career.


I believe in the value of strong leadership and setting the example as a Company Officer. If we don't make things important to us, why should we expect our firefighters to make it important to them? Colonel Mike Malone, author of Small Unit Leadership once said that setting the example is the essence of leadership. I truly believe this and try to live by this every day I come to work.


I had one of my mentors tell me that every day you should strive for perfection. You will most certainly will fail some days, but that is what you strive for. Every day you come to work, try to be better today than you were yesterday. Live by this, and you will do just fine.


I started in the military as a junior sailor and moved up the ranks and left as a supervisor of a division of 22 sailors. I was able to see as follower the traits needed to be a good leader, and what makes a bad one. In my firefighting career I have been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by firefighters and officers who were top notch and helped me grow along the way. What I do see is a need for accountability up and down the ranks, as well as the need to keep ourselves trained and ready. I am currently serving as a Company Officer and I couldn't ask for a better crew. The guys that I am privileged to influence are top notch, engaged firefighters. They set the bar high for themselves and push the others around them to do the same. I am a firm believer that if you are not mentoring junior members in your departments or organizations, you are not doing your job. Whether you are formal or informal leader where you are currently at, lead by example, look out for your guys/girls, and make them your biggest priority when you walk into work.


I chose the name Trial by Fire because I wanted a name that would describe the journey we are all on. We learn by trial and error, so trial by fire seemed fitting. I don't know it all. I make mistakes, and I am still a student of the Fire Service. Again it is my goal that my content will motivate you, inspire you, challenge you, and ultimately keep you hungry for this outstanding profession that you competed for. Everything I post is my opinion and thoughts. What I write about may or may not reflect the views of my organization, but in the end are meant to challenge the status quo and provoke thought. We all raised our right hands to protect those we serve. We need to make sure we all act like it. Thank you again and I look forward to interacting with all of you.


You can visit and follow me on Facebook as well. The page is open for anyone to post on, share our successes and pitfalls, as well as post training related material.

Jarrod